Integrated spin systems for the separation and recovery of gold, precious metals, rare earths and purification of water

Abstract

A system and method are provided for the extraction of gold and other precious metals and elements from ore, as well as purification of water. Heavy elements are separated from lighter elements during the rotation of any conductive liquid in a chamber. To provide proper conductivity seawater can be used as the main conductive liquid. An electric field and hence a current is generated in a radial direction in a magnetic field generated in an axial direction, perpendicular to the radial direction, with respect to a chamber. The conductive liquid is provided to the chamber and is subjected to the current, and the conductive liquid is caused to rotate in the chamber by the current interacting with the magnetic field. Due to the Lorentz force, proper rotation is achieved without any mechanical motion. Rotation of the liquid in the chamber causes separation of heavy elements from light element caused by centrifugal forces. This system and method is also effective to clean up pollution of past and existing mines by decomposing hazardous leaching solutions such as cyanides into non-harmful elements, for example hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for separation of heavy elements from a fluid, comprising:
 providing at least one target electrically conductive fluid containing ionizable components and further comprising at least a plurality of heavy elements; 
 introducing said target fluid into a chamber; 
 generating an electric field in a first direction of said chamber; 
 generating a discharge current in said chamber to at least partially separate electric charges of said ionizable components in the target conductive fluid, thereby ionizing the conductive fluid; 
 generating a magnetic field in a second direction of said chamber perpendicular to the first direction to induce rotation of said ionized conductive target fluid about an axis of said chamber; and 
 recovering at least one heavy element from said rotating fluid. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid is water and said heavy elements comprise impurities in said fluid. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid contains metal ore, and said heavy elements comprise at least one precious metal in said ore. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising subjecting said metal ore to a plasma torch treatment, and leaching said treated metal ore with said fluid prior to rotation of said fluid. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said fluid is seawater. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3 , wherein said at least one precious metal is gold. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid is a hazardous leaching solution, and said rotation and passage of current through the solution causes hazardous elements in said leaching solution to be decomposed into non-harmful elements. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus for recovering heavy elements from a target conductive fluid containing ionizable components and further comprising at least a plurality of heavy elements, comprising:
 a chamber; 
 a voltage supply for establishing a voltage difference within said chamber, wherein said voltage difference at least partially separates and moves electric charges of said ionizable components in said target conductive fluid introduced into said chamber; and 
 a magnet for generating a magnetic field in said chamber in a direction perpendicular to said voltage difference, said magnetic field causing said ionized conductive target fluid to rotate within said chamber in a direction about an axis of said chamber so as to separate at least one heavy element within said fluid from lighter elements of said fluid; 
 wherein at least one heavy element is extracted from said chamber from said rotating fluid. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said fluid is water and said heavy elements comprise impurities in said fluid. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said fluid contains metal ore, and said heavy elements comprise at least one precious metal in said ore. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising subjecting said metal ore to a plasma torch treatment, and leaching said treated metal ore with said fluid. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said fluid is seawater. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said at least one precious metal is gold. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the leaching fluid is made to contain charges through mixing with seawater or other solutions containing hydrated charges. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for imaging of elements in said fluid. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the applied voltage has an oscillating component, which induces turbulence of various scale lengths inside the rotating fluid. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said fluid is a hazardous leaching solution, and said rotation and passage of current through the solution causes hazardous elements in said leaching solution to be decomposed into non-harmful elements. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid is a combination of gases, liquids and solids in suspension. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said fluid is a combination of gases, liquids and solids in suspension.